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shoulda, woulda, coulda Jul 04, 2009
In latter 1949 Rossellini wanted to turn the key of disquiet in the heart of man at the end of the horrible decade called 1940's. To do so he gazed to the past champion of meek and mild, to the saint of nature and all living things - St. Francis of Assisi. Ably assisted by then 'not quite famous' Federico Fellini we get a collection of vignettes on the plausible daily deeds once done by his band of fellow monks whom had gathered to hone their skills as a group before setting out in the world, each to his own. It's all very simple, it's all way beyond film narration as we have come to anticipate, and it's all very wonderful. To delve deeper would be to miss that huge chunk of a message aimed dead center right between your ears, eyes, and heart. This one was meant to relax and enjoy. Man is one of many in the collective whole. The total sum make for the special resulting one. Nothing is ever left out.
A Fool for God Mar 03, 2009
"St. Francis is the mirror of Christ rather as the moon is the mirror of the sun. The moon is much smaller than the sun, but it is also much nearer to us; and being less vivid it is more visible."
-- G.K. Chesterton, "St. Francis of Assisi"
"The Flowers of St. Francis" is a lovely little film directed by the great Italian neo-realist, Roberto Rossellini, and co-written by Federico Fellini. A collaboration between Italian cinema's most famous neo-realist and its most famous surrealist should pique the curiosity of any cinephile, while devotees of St. Francis, arguably the Church's most enduringly popular saint, will find much to enjoy in this simple, touching film.
Told in a series of vignettes that echo Christ's parables, "The Flowers of St. Francis" captures something of the whimsy of Francis' ministry. He remains one of the most accessible and benevolent of the long litany saints in the Catholic tradition, at least in part because Francis felt the joy of faith, even in times of trial and hardship. Any movie about a saint's life risks over-piety, turning a human person into a sacrosanct object, as if the saint's blinding halo casts in shadow any individual features. That's certainly not how Francis saw himself, and it's not how he's portrayed in the film. Rossellini and Fellini approach their subject with love, which is not exactly the same as reverence. The brothers (who were all played by members of the Franciscan order) laugh, make fools of themselves, joke with each other -- but the effect is always familial, always in the spirit of love and charity.
There are moments of darkness and light in "The Flowers of St. Francis," a narrative chiaroscuro that reflects the constant struggle and tension of modeling one's life on Christ. There are sequences of physical comedy (poor Brother Ginepro being tossed around like a rag doll by a band of marauders) that wouldn't seem out-of-place in a Chaplin film. Then there are passages of powerful simplicity and pathos, such as Francis' encounter with a leper in a desolate field on a dark night, that remind the viewer that love must first conquer fear. Faith is alive in this film, and it's not always easy. Francis, with grace and love, praised God by praising His creation (he's the patron saint of the environment, after all!). This film, like the subject that inspired it, feels like the fruit of that love.
Martin Scorsese, no cinematic lightweight, wrote an insightful "personal appreciation" for the 2005 DVD release of "The Flowers of St. Francis." I'll let il maestro speak, as he is a more reliable authority than yours truly:
"What Rossellini did, with such grace and such apparent ease, was to make a movie about a group of men for whom existence is a neverending struggle -- a struggle to be good, a struggle to stay true to the word of God. At times, the struggle becomes comic, and I still marvel at Rossellini's daring in these scenes -- the way Francis and his brethren jump through the puddles, or the cooking of the soup, which wouldn't be out of place in a Laurel and Hardy short. Of course, it's all done in a very loving manner, and that's why it is at once so magical and so true. We're all ridiculous at times -- even those of us who are declared saints."
Both funny and quietly touching Dec 06, 2007
Rossellini's Francesco, Guillare di Dio/Francis, God's Jester (aka The Flowers of St francis) is less political than Pasolini's Gospel According to St. Matthew, but it's still possible to see it as one of its antecedents with its use of amateur actors and avoidance of studio work. Its anecdotal narrative doesn't always work (the sequence with the tyrant is amusing but too broadly played, for example), but it does build up a picture of an alternative, more open-spirited approach to religious devotion more in tune with nature than scripture, and the ending is both funny and quietly touching, as Francesco's followers spin round and round in circles until dizzy to find which path God wants them to follow.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 An authentic portrayal Nov 14, 2007
Rossellini is an extraordinary director (for a good introduction to his work see M. Scorsese's, My Voyage to Italy) His treatment of St.Francis is unlike any other screen version I have seen, and in my view, irreplaceable.It is based on "I Fioretti" very early collection of stories that grew up among the first followers and is really more about the effect Francis had on them than it is a "biography" of the saint. It that way it is more like a "gospel," an excited, almost unbelievable, account of how he changed people's lives. It is not the place to go to get the basic facts, but if you want to get right to the "truth" of this person who changed western culture fundamentally, then this might well be the place to go. For a very effective contemporary retelling of some the Fioretti stories, try Murray Bodo's Tales of St. Francis.The film is also a great display of Rossellini's revolutionary cinematic realism. A real classic. Enjoy!
P.S. after writing this I read the other reviews. They make clear the range of possible reaction both on the human level and the artistic. I don't have any quarrel with (almost) any of them. I would just say that there is a great deal going on here regarding both the person and film, so if you are just getting acquainted with either aspect, look around a bit before making up your mind for yourself.
0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
another fine criterion release Jan 28, 2007
i love the story of st francis.. This is a fine black and white movie - one of Rossellini's better films of the period.. While it is not quite as powerful as 'Open City' it is a very important movie and deserves to be seen..
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